I am training a wilderness search and rescue dog. In an offhand discussion with a colleague, she mentioned having to be airlifted out of a canyon by a helicopter with her dog, and then starting to spin, so the helicopter crew was unable to get them into the helicopter and they had to travel a mile like that, dangling under the helicopter. She was attached to the line by her harness, the dog by his. Aside from my utter horror at that prospect, my immediate thought was that I don’t have a single harness (and I have a LOT of harnesses) that I would trust in that situation. So I asked her what harness she used for that. She told me, this one. I ordered it on the spot. I have other Ruffwear harnesses, and like them a lot. But this one is an entirely different sort of harness. From the moment it came out of the package, the quality and sturdiness were obvious. It is weighty but not heavy or bulky. It is almost supple in feel; not rigid. The buckles are smooth, solid metal, the straps are convincingly strong and smooth. This is not a quick release harness. You need to strap in your dog like you would strap yourself into a climbing harness. Once on, though, it didn’t seem to bother my 52 pound Lab at all. I’ve attached a photo; she is wearing the Medium. She wasn’t a huge fan of the straps behind her legs, never having worn them like that before, but she did quickly forget about them. I would only use those for an actual lift, not for general working. I love that…